Andriy Karkos

New evidence that a Minneapolis man who commanded a Nazi SS-led unit ordered an attack on a Polish village in World War II underscores the need for federal authorities to investigate, a leader of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas said Monday.

The family of a 94-year-old Minneapolis man is disputing a report that he commanded a Nazi SS-led unit in World War II and lied about his wartime past in order to become a U.S. citizen. The Associated Press reported Friday that Michael Karkoc was a top commander in the Ukrainian Self-Defense Legion, citing Karkoc’s own memoir among other evidence. Wartime records don’t show that Karkoc had a direct hand in war crimes, though records indicate he lied about his past when immigrating to the U.S.